Fort Myers, Florida – In a devastating blow to the streets of Leesburg, a federal jury has found Alex Winters, 43, guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to testimony presented at trial, on May 7, 2020, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office stopped a car for a traffic violation. After a deputy noted the smell of marijuana, the car was searched. Beneath Winters’s seat, deputies found a loaded 9mm pistol and fanny pack containing distribution amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and eutylone. Also in the fanny pack, deputies found a digital scale, baggies, a drug ledger, and 9mm ammunition. Winters’s DNA was later analyzed and compared to DNA swabs taken from the firearm and he was determined to be a possible contributor.
This case marks another victory for law enforcement in the fight against crime. Winters, who qualifies as an Armed Career Criminal based upon his criminal history, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
The investigation was led by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Mark Morgan.
This case was prosecuted as part of the “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program, a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.
Winters was indicted on February 24, 2021. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Related Federal Cases
- Charles E. Posey, Jr., Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses, Florida 2023 · Florida
- Glenn Edward Davis, Jr., Firearms & Drug Possession, Florida 2019 · Florida
- Derrick Evans, Narcotics and Firearms Offenses, Florida 2022 · Florida
- Douglas Lanier Hogan, Armed Drug Dealer, Florida 2020 · Oklahoma
- Marvin ‘MJ’ Mitchell, Possession with Intent to Distribute, Florida 2019 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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